Sunday, October 08, 2006

The Bright Red Heart of Darkness

I am melting down 15 pounds of tomatoes for freezing. I bought a lug (is that the word? a big box...) for $12 at the market Thursday, and I'm more than halfway finished cooking them.
The tomatey ladies we bought them from say the price is going up next week because the season is petering out. Heck, I barely got started. Earlier this summer, I just wasn't in the mood to make sauce. Plus, I barely ate any raw tomatoes at all. What a lousy summer.
So this is a last-chance grab, a kind of lonely, dark, sad picture... with a perfect bright spot right in the center of it.

11 comments:

Sam said...

I raise you five
I am about to start on 20lbs
but mine are a bit mushed up to start with

Anonymous said...

You two are just show-offs! I am hoping to freeze some of the many minis from the cherry tomato plants at my house. Don't think they will be as tasty as big meaty tomatoes, but they might add a bright flavor in cold weather.

Great shot, Cooks.

Kalyn Denny said...

Oh goodie. I'm glad you are getting some tomatoes in the freezer. Sam too. I have a whole bunch that are not getting ripe at all (too cold now I guess) and I'm considering buying some next weekend if they still have them at the farmer's market.

cookiecrumb said...

Sam: Whoa! Hey, just so you know, I got about nine or ten pints from that batch. I didn't roast the tomato chunks down to absolute dryness -- still liquidy -- and the resulting puree is perfect in texture.

Kudzu: I don't know how tasty your cherries are but I think they'd make a great sauce, provided you have a food mill and strong arms. (Thanks.)

Kalyn: What did you have this year, like 30 plants? I should think your freezer's full! :) You gonna fry the green tomatoes? I had a killer BLT once, made with breaded fried green tomatoes. Mm.

Stacie said...

that is a beutiful shot! I love it! I think I have about 20 qts in the freezer, tired of makin sauce.

Ilva said...

I'm just happy to hear that you are making tomato sauce! Deeply satisfying that is and a sign of hope in the future (if you can understand what I mean, it sounds a bit contorted)

cookiecrumb said...

Stacie: Too many! I'll bet it's all home-grown, too. (Thanks for the compliment on the photo. I'm just now learning to fiddle with some of the strange buttons on this camera; I think I got lucky.)

Ilva: I read you loud and clear. You are right. Thank you! xx

Kevin said...

CC,
I had what's probably my last plate of tomatoes, basil, and feta for lunch yesterday. I'm not sure I'll make it back to the market before it closes.{sigh}

And I don't have any space for any canned goods, so that's out -- although I did manage to find a spot for my olives.

cookiecrumb said...

Kev: I set aside two of the tomatoes intended for sauce, and they're sitting shiny and whole on the counter. Maybe for lunch tomorrow. :)
I hope you'll tell us the technique for brining your green olives when you get around to it, which must be right... about... now!

Anonymous said...

I am red with envy. [Tomato envy.] I barely have room for the bags of roasted chiles in my freezer. Nevermind cooking down lugs of tomatoes. [Sniff.]

Dagny said...

Hmmmm. I keep waiting for a new post. Because I am afraid to admit that I'm not much a fan of the tomato. Yes, I eat them but only in moderation. That's right. No cioppino for me. And in Italian restaurants, I always go for the cream based sauces instead of the tomato because dairy products are my true weakness.

But I've gotta say that I love your industriousness.